Territory



No. 62!,404. Patented Mar. 2!, I899. R. E. GAILEY &. J.- F. BOHLANDER.

LUMBER FILING PLATFORM.

(Application filed Nov. 4 1898.) (No Model.)

UNITE ROY E. GAILEY AND JOHN F. BOHLANDER, OF NElVKIRK, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

LUMBER-PILING PLATFORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,404, dated March 21, 1899.

Application filed November 4, 1898. $eria1No. 695,445. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROY E. GAILEY and JOHN F. BOHLANDER, of Newkirk, county of Kay, Oklahoma Territory, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lumleer-Piling Platforms, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to lumber-piling platforms; and our object is to provide a simple, strong, and inexpensive platform of this character, which may be adjusted to accommodate the increasing height of the lumber being piled in order that the work may be facilitated and accomplished with less exertion on the part of those engaged in building the pile.

To this end the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a pile of lumber with our improved platform secured in operative relation thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the platform detached from the pile of lumber. Fig. 3 is a sectional perspective View of the platform in its folded position.

In the said drawings, 1 designates the floor of the platform upon which the operator stands, and said floor is secured in any suitable manner to the parallel longitudinal sills 2 2. 3 designates spacing-blocks which are secured to the rear ends and outer sides of said sills.

4 designates a pair of arms which are pivoted, as at 5, to the outer sides of the spacing-blocks by preference, and 6 designates a journal box or bushing fitted non-rotatably in the free end of each pivoted arm 4:.

7 designates a pair of spacing-blocks of about the same thickness as the spacingblocks 3, secured to the inner sides of the arms 4, and 8 aroller having its spindles extending through said blocks 7 and journaled in the journal-boxes 6. 9 designates a pair of cross-braces which connect the diagonally opposite ends of said arms 4.

1O designates a pair of adjustable braces, which are pivoted at their rear ends, as at 11, to the inner sides of the arms 4 at suitable points between the roller and the pivotal points 5, said braces being adapted to operate in the vertical plane of the said spacing-blocks and therefore lying snugly between arms 1 and sills 2.

12 designates a pair of rectangular clips or brackets, which are secured to the floor 1 and project horizontally outward from the sides thereof, and the rear sides of said clips or brackets are adapted to be engaged by one notch or another 13 formed in the lower edges of the braces 10, the front ends of the braces when so arranged projecting down through the brackets, which latter therefore, in conjunction with the floor and sills 2, prevent lateral movement of said braces, and in order to prevent said braces from swinging vertically up and out of engagement with said clips or brackets under the shock or jar which occurs as the plank or timber being raised strikes and rubs against the platform in a manner which will hereinafter appear a pair of wedges 14 are driven down between the beveled front ends of the braces and the front sides of the brackets.

In positioning the braces as above described the arms 4 are incidentally raised to an upright position and are reliably maintained in such position as long as the braces are engaged with said clips or brackets, though it is to be understood that said arms are more or less inclined, accordingly as one set or the other of the notches 13 are engaged with said clips or brackets.

15 designates a pair of eyebolts or equivalent devices secured to the floor 1 near its rear corners, and 16 similar devices which are secured to the floor near its front corners, and attached to said devices are a pair of strong chains 17 or their equivalents, said chains being about twice as long as the distance between each pair of pins 15 16. 18 designates a pair of hooks which are attached to said chains at opposite points, preferably somewhat forward of their center.

In Fig. 1 it will be noticed that the pile of lumber consisting of planks a is separated by the customary cross-strips bin order that the lumber may become thoroughly dried.

When the person in charge has piled the roo lumber from the ground to about the height of his eye he tops the same at the overhanging end with a cross-strip Z), and then hooks over said cross-strip the hooks 18 of our adjustable platform, permitting the front ends of the sills 2 to bear against the end of the lumber-pile. The braces 10 are pivotally adjusted so as to hold the roller-carrying arms 4 at the angle desired, and it will be understood, too, that the position of the hooks 18 upon the chains may be varied, so that the floor will hang level when the sills are against the pile, and also so that the pull or strain upon the hooks will be mainly vertical that there may be no possible chance of the platform falling. The operator now mounts the platform, which is of such proportionate size that the roller is supported about level with the top of the lumber-pile, which is some distance lower than the operators waist. The assistant below now raises the plank in the customary manner until it rests against the roller in about the position indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 1, when it is grasped by the operator upon the platform and drawn up, this being accomplished with ease and despatch because practically all friction is eliminated by the rotation of said roller. Vhen the operator gets the plank in about the position shown in full lines, as at c, Fig. 1, he pushes it longitudinally forward upon the platform, and from practice is enabled to place the off end of the plank or board in the proper position, this being easily accomplished,beeause he is free to use both hands and can see both sides and the front end of the pile. As soon as one horizontal layer or series of planks is placed the operator places the cross-strips bin position and then sits down on the front end of the pile on top of the strip he has placed there and, reaching down, grasps the chain at one side and raises that side of the platform. This loosens the corresponding hook, which he then takes in his other hand and hooks up over the cross-strip l) on which he is sitting. He then raises and secures the other side of the platform in the same manner and is ready to re-v ceivea plank orboard from his assistant below. It will thus be seen that the platform is raised every few inchesthat is, with each layer of the boards and strips which are placed upon the pile-and that in consequence the piler has the assistance and use of the roller from the time he receives the plank until he disposes it in the proper position on the pile. lVhon the pile is as high as desired, the piler, without assistance, lets the roller swing down and then, sitting upon the pile, pulls the platform up on his knees and, turning, deposits it upon the top of the pile, where he folds it up. This folding operation is accomplished by removing the wedges 14 and disengaging the inclined braces from the clips or brackets and swinging them in the direction indicated by the arrow (Z until they lie snugly against the inner sides of the arms 4-. Said arms are then pivotally operated in the direction indicated by the arrow 6 until theylie parallel with the sills 2 with the braces 10 interposed. (See Fig. 3.) In this condition the platform is conveniently portable and the piler can carry it down with one hand without difliculty.

From the above description it will be apparent that we have produced an adjustable lumber-piling platform which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention, and it is to be understood, of conrse,that we reserve the right to make such alterations or modifica tions in the form, proportion, detail construction, or arrangement of parts as properly fall within the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what 7 we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A lumber-piling platform, comprising a floor or base, arms, a roller carried thereby, means to brace the arms in a substantially upright position, and means to suspend the platform from a structure with the floor in a substantially horizontal position, substan tially as described.

2. A lumber-piling platform, comprising a floor or base, pivoted arms, a roller carried thereby, means to brace the arms in a substantially upright position, flexible connections attached to said floor, and hooks attached to said flexible connections, substantially as described.

3. A lumber-piling platform, comprising a substantially horizontal floor, arms erected near the rear end of said floor, a roller carried by said arms, braces connecting said arms and floor, to support the former in a substantially upright position, and means to suspend said platform from a structure with its floor substantially horizontal and braced from forward movement by said structure, substantially as described.

4. A lumber-piling platform, comprising a pair of sills, a floor secured to the same, arms supported near the rear end of the floor and connected at their free ends, and means to suspend said platform from a structure with the front ends of said sills bearing against the opposing surface of said structure, substantially as described.

5. A lumber-piling platform, comprising a pair of sills, a floor secured thereto, brackets projecting outward from the side margins of the fioor,arms pivoted at their lower ends near the rear end of said floor and sills, a roller carried by said arms, braces pivoted to said arms and engaging said brackets, wedges fitting in said brackets and engaging said braces, and means to suspend the platform from a structure with the sills bearing against the opposing surface of said structure and the floor in a substantially horizontal position, substantially as described. v

6. A lumber-piling platform, comprising a pair of longitudinal sills, a floor secured to and connecting the same, spacing-blocks sethe platform is folded for transportation, subcnred to the rear ends and outer sides of the stantially as described. sills, a pair of arms pivoted to and at the p In testimony whereof We affix our signaouter sides of said spacing-blocks, a pair of tures in the presence of two witnesses. 5 spacing-blocks at the inner sides and free ends of said arms, a roller journaled in said g{f arms between said spacing-blocks, and braces pivoted to said arms at their inner sides so Witnesses: as to fold between said arms and occupy a M. O. COPPLE,

IO position between said arms and the sills when J S. REMINGTON. 

